Tag: Brian Kelly

LSU Week 2 Injury Report: Kyle Parker doubtful, Princeton Malbrue suffers ‘serious’ knee injury

The Tigers are mostly healthy entering their home opener, but they are dealing with a couple of injuries to depth players this week.

LSU’s trip to Las Vegas for the opening game of the season against USC ultimately wasn’t a productive one.

The Tigers fell 27-20, squandering a fourth-quarter lead against the Trojans to drop their fifth-straight season-opener. On the bright side, the team returns home for Week 2 against Nicholls in what should be a tuneup game, and the team is relatively healthy entering the week.

The one piece of notable injury news [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] provided was that defensive end [autotag]Princeton Malbrue[/autotag], who was injured on a kickoff return, suffered what is thought to be a “serious” knee injury.

Receiver [autotag]Kyle Parker[/autotag], who made the start in place of an injured [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] but exited the game early, suffered a UCL injury and is listed as doubtful as he is not expected to suit up against the Colonels.

However, Kelly said that while some other players will likely be listed on Wednesday’s injury report with “bumps and bruises,” everyone else is expected to play including Hilton, who is expected to start at receiver.

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Shannon Sharpe lays in to LSU’s Brian Kelly after USC loss: ‘Lincoln Riley outcoached you’

Shannon Sharpe did not mince words when criticizing Brian Kelly’s postgame press conference.

After LSU fell 27-20 against USC to drop its fifth consecutive season-opener, a frustrated [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] took the podium at his postgame press conference.

It produced a clip that quickly made the rounds on social media as Kelly stated that he was “angry” with his football team and lamented having to voice the same concerns yet again after a loss.

Kelly concluded by saying he’s not doing a good enough job as a coach, but that wasn’t enough for him to avoid some ire from the national media, including First Take’s Shannon Sharpe, who didn’t mince words when criticizing Kelly on Monday morning.

“I think it’s BS. I think he should’ve led with what he finished with. ‘I’m not doing a good enough job.’ He did the exact same thing last year when Florida State thumped them. ‘Clearly we’re not the team that I thought we were.’ No, you’re not the coach that you thought you were,” Sharpe said. “At some point in time, it comes down to coaching. It comes down to accountability.

“You had 10 penalties for basically 100 yards. You either coach that behavior or you condone that type of behavior. But how about this, ‘Oh, their quarterback outplayed ours.’ Lincoln Riley outcoached you.”

https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1830615238237917257

Sharpe went on to say that Kelly should’ve taken more accountability and aired his frustrations with his players behind closed doors.

“The really great coaches – look at Dabo. When he got thumped by Georgia, he said ‘That’s coaching. That’s on me.’ Coach Saban used to do it all the time,” Sharpe said. “The really, really good coaches, the coaches that can get to their players and get them to understand, even if a player makes a mistake or does something repeatedly, they’ll take it and they’ll get behind closed doors.

“If he wanted to have this kind of conversation, ‘Guys, we talked about this all summer. We had this problem a lot last year. We start to feel good about ourselves, and we let teams back into the ballgame. And that came back to bite us.’ If you wanted to do that behind closed doors, I’ve got no problem with it. But Brian Kelly has a repeated behavior of doing this, publicly chastising his players and obfuscating himself of responsibility.”

It’s certainly harsh words, but there’s some similar frustration in LSU’s fanbase after the team once again wasn’t ready to win against a power conference opponent in Week 1.

There’s plenty of time to turn things around, but the Tigers are already facing a lot of questions just one game into the season.

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Photos from LSU’s season-opening loss to USC

The Tigers dropped their fifth straight season opener on Sunday night.

The Tigers will be starting the season 0-1 for the fifth year in a row after it couldn’t end its season-opening loss streak on Sunday night against USC in Las Vegas.

LSU had its opportunities to win and led in the fourth quarter, but a game-winning touchdown drive from the Trojans and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] interception with just seconds to go on the ensuing possession was all she wrote.

It wasn’t the debut to the post-[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] era that coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], who was visibly angry in his postgame press conference, wanted.

As LSU fell 27-20 to begin the season, here are the best photos from the game.

Brian Kelly got heated during emotional press conference after loss to USC

Brian Kelly made his frustration clear during his postgame press conference on Sunday night.

For the fifth year in a row, LSU is starting its season 0-1 after squandering an opportunity to take down USC in Las Vegas. The Tigers ultimately fell 27-20, and when coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] addressed the media after the game, he was despondent.

“I think it’s the first time since I’ve been here that I’m pretty angry at our football team,” Kelly said. “The thing that is most concerning for me are the personal fouls, the penalties that are selfish. Both of them led to scores, and they’re undisciplined penalties, and effectively they fall back on me.”

Kelly was extremely frustrated with the penalties, of which LSU had 10 for 99 yards. He also said he was disappointed to see what he felt were players prematurely celebrating a win and not playing hard to the end.

“We had some guys that played their butts off tonight, and we’re sitting here again — we’re sitting here again — talking about the same things,” Kelly said as he slammed his fist on the table. “About not finishing when you have an opponent in a position to put them away, but we’re doing on the sideline is acting like the game’s over. And I’m so angry about it that I’ve got to do something about it.

“I’m not doing a good enough job as a coach. I’ve got to coach them better because it’s unacceptable for us not to have found a way to win this football game, it’s ridiculous. It’s crazy.”

Kelly was also disappointed that the team couldn’t finish drives in the red zone, coming away with six points on three trips.

After a third-straight neutral site season-opening loss to begin the Kelly era, the Tigers certainly face quite a few questions. Whether they can get back on track and compete in the expanded SEC remains to be seen.

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Is LSU’s rushing attack a problem for the Tigers in 2024?

LSU was expected to have a strong run game behind an elite offensive line, but there are questions after the loss to USC.

LSU had a 1,000-yard rusher at QB last year with Heisman winner [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] under center. With [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] taking over, LSU’s rushing attack took a different approach against USC.

The results were mixed, at best. LSU finished the game with -0.22 EPA/rush, which ranks in the 15th percentile. From an EPA perspective, only one explosive play was generated on the ground.

That’s an adjustment from 2023 when LSU finished the year with 29 runs of 20+ yards.

But it wasn’t just a lack of explosiveness that stuck out on Sunday night. LSU wasn’t efficient either. LSU’s success rate on the ground was 27%, far below where LSU expects to be.

Only 38% of LSU’s runs went for four yards or more, 10 points below USC’s mark of 48%. LSU’s two starting backs, [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaleb Jackson[/autotag], both averaged under four yards per play.

No matter how you slice it, LSU struggled to run the ball. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was asked about it after the game and said LSU has bigger issues.

“We could sit here and we could go and look at a million different things, but we had over 400 yards in total offense,” Kelly said. “We weren’t able to put the ball in the end zone when we really needed too. This is much more about being a better and efficient offense in the red zone than it is the failings of the inability to run.”

Kelly said LSU ran the ball to set up everything else it needed to do.

“Do I want to run the ball better? Absolutely, there’s no doubt. I think our execution needs to get better. Having said that, I think we ran the ball well enough to win this game,” Kelly said.

Kelly has a point, but LSU could have improved its chances of scoring with a better rushing attack.

On the opening drive, LSU ran the ball on first and goal for a loss of one. The next drive, LSU was forced to punt after a series that featured two more stuffed runs.

The final drive, when LSU needed a touchdown to take the lead, LSU ran it three times for an average of 1.6 yards. The Tigers were forced to settle for a field goal.

LSU’s schedule lightens up for a moment, but the Tigers need to figure out the run game before SEC play begins.

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Brian Kelly says LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier was ‘outplayed’ by USC’s Miller Moss

LSU racked up 400 yards of total offense, but didn’t score when it needed. Does that fall on Garrett Nussmeier?

LSU head coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] wasn’t happy following the opening loss to USC. In a press conference after the game, Kelly said it was the first time since arriving at LSU that he was “angry” at his team.

As for the quarterback position, Kelly said QB Garrett Nussmeier was outplayed by USC signal caller Miller Moss.

Kelly’s biggest frustration with the offense was the inability to come away with points inside the 15-yard line. LSU had a chance to go up 7-0 on the opening drive but turned it over on downs.

Later in the game, LSU was down three and in position to score again, but the Tigers were forced to settle for a field goal.

“We put way too much pressure on our defense to be something they’re not ready to be,” Kelly said.

“Our offense needed to be better,” Kelly said.

For the most part, Nussmeier played well, but there were some plays to be made in these moments that were left on the table.

Nussmeier finished 29/38 for 304 yards and two scores. He threw a pick in the final seconds when LSU was hoping for a miracle, but it’s hard to put that on him.

Moss was slightly more efficient, throwing for 370 yards on 36 passes. USC won the downfield battles it needed to win the game.

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Brian Kelly’s angry, table-slamming response to LSU’s loss to USC isn’t helping

This isn’t going to help.

Brian Kelly’s tenure at LSU in the past few years hasn’t exactly been the most fun despite back-to-back 10-win seasons, especially when it comes to quotes.

He had his “beat the heck out of Florida State” quote backfire, he once ripped the media for being late, and so on.

This time? After an opening-season loss to USC on Sunday, Kelly was in the middle of answering a question about his disappointment, and he showed his anger by slamming his fist on the table, making his water bottle jump.

“We’re sitting here [SLAM] again talking about the same things! About not finishing when you have an opponent in a position to put ’em away. But what we’re doing on the sideline is feeling like the game is over. And I’m so angry about it that I gotta do something about it. I’m not doing a good enough job as a coach.”

https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1830469311682715810?t=eTnkRh7hTCPnh3k5fYeXIQ&s=19

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1830460784847065549?t=xwhZ3a-etH0EqBLOplSIKg&s=19

There’s a bit of show, not tell going on here. You can show you’re angry without the theatrics, but maybe he was just trying to make an emphatic point to the world. But it’s not going to help after a loss like that, in which LSU was up heading into the fourth.

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Watch Brian Kelly going nuts after another big loss, this time to USC

We aren’t surprised

Notre Dame football fans know all about [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag], as he was the head coach from 2010-2021.

While the Irish had their moments with him as their leader, they never were able to break through on the national scene. Kelly would bolt to LSU before the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, when he led the team to an 11-1 record.

What was the Tigers gain, was also one for Notre Dame, as they promoted Marcus Freeman who has done a great job so far. Yes, he’s had his hiccups, but has been an upstanding ambassador for the university.

The same thing can’t be said about Kelly, as he once again blew his top after a Sunday night 27-20 loss to USC.

https://twitter.com/on3sports/status/1830459622982906339?s=61&t=nW7PCouJbinxzoQ7zhCi_g

This is very in-line with how Kelly is, as he wasn’t very well liked during his time in South Bend even though he was winning games. We’ll never get tired of his tirades, as long as they aren’t with the Irish anymore.

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5 takeaways from LSU football’s season-opening loss to USC

LSU football dropped a fifth-straight season opener on Sunday night. This time it was a 27-20 loss to Lincoln Riley and USC.

Another kickoff, another letdown for LSU. For the fifth straight year, LSU dropped its season opener. All five losses came at the hands of power conference opponents, all in games where LSU was favored.

This time, it was USC’s turn to deliver the season-opening blow to LSU. Lincoln Riley’s offense marched down the field in the final minute to break a 20-20 tie with a Woody Marks touchdown. LSU got the ball back with eight seconds left, but a [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] interception sealed a 27-20 win for USC.

LSU had several chances to take control of this game in the second half, but USC stuck around and eventually made the plays in the fourth quarter. The Tigers lacked the signature explosive plays that made the 2023 offense the best unit in the country and [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag]’ legs were sorely missed.

Brian Kelly entered his third year at LSU with high hopes. With the playoff expanding to 12, postseason hopes aren’t completely dashed, but LSU’s margin for error is slim the rest of the way.

Nussmeier finished with 304 yards and two touchdowns while John Emery led LSU on the ground with 10 carries for 64 yards.

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s loss to USC.

Garrett Nussmeier meets expectations

It’s hard to put this loss on Nussmeier. The redshirt junior was impressive, completing 29 of 38 passes for 304 yards and two scores. Nussmeier looked like a veteran, checking calls at the line of scrimmage and taking what the USC defense gave him.

Nussmeier protected the football and did a fine job taking calculated risks. [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Taylor[/autotag] got the bulk of the targets, but Nussmeier spread it around and threw at 11 different Tigers.

USC did a good job disguising its pressures, which caused trouble for LSU at times, but Nussmeier handled it and got the ball out. He made throws within the pocket and delivered some balls on the run too.

Despite the loss, LSU should feel good about its passing attack.

LSU struggles to establish the run

Without Daniels, there were questions about how LSU would generate explosive plays on the ground. The Tigers struggled to accomplish that on Sunday night.

There were flashes, but the rushing attack was inconsistent. [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaleb Jackson[/autotag], the two backs expected to lead LSU’s RB room, averaged 3.4 yards per carry. Nussmeier was a nonfactor on the ground.

[autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag] injected life in the second half and finished with 10 carries for 61 yards, but that was about the only positive takeaway in this department.

It’s possible this was just a bad night, but LSU is supposed to have the best offensive line in the country. That should be reevaluated moving forward.

Secondary remains an issue

LSU was plagued by a young and injury-riddled secondary last year. Sunday night wasn’t quite as bad as 2023, but it wasn’t good.

[autotag]Ashton Stamps[/autotag] and [autotag]PJ Woodland[/autotag] had a few highlight plays at cornerback, but USC continued to take advantage of one-on-one matchups on the outside.

The nail in the coffin came when Miller Moss found Kyron Hudson on the final drive. LSU corner Sage Ryan failed to redirect Hudson and Moss found a window.

Earlier in the half, Moss found Ja’Kobi Lane one-on-one with Stamps for a score.

LSU will face more talented receivers when it gets into conference play. Right now, that looks like trouble.

LSU struggles to find explosive plays

LSU was the most explosive offense in the country last year, but the big plays didn’t come at the same clip on Sunday night.

We knew LSU would regress some here after the gaudy numbers put up in 2023, but according to GameOnPaper, LSU had just one explosive play on the ground.

LSU created four big plays through the air, but it missed the 50-yard bomb we’d see from Daniels and [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] last year.

Without the big plays, pressure was put on LSU to sustain drives. That was tough without a consistent run game.

Another season-opening loss

LSU fans are probably getting tired of starting 0-1. The last time LSU won a season opener, [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] was throwing passes.

Again, LSU’s season isn’t over with the playoff expanding, but LSU will have to overperform against a tough SEC schedule if it has postseason hopes.

The schedule is favorable, relative to what other SEC teams face, but it’s by no means easy.

LSU has a lot to fix if Kelly hopes to avoid falling short of expectations again.

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